An aerial photo of the site of the QuikTrip convenience store near the still-under-construction New Holland Marketplace site at the intersection of Limestone Parkway and Cornelia Highway.

DOCUMENTS

A mix of projects is in the works as construction of the New Holland Marketplace shopping center in Gainesville moves forward.

Kroger has taken over construction at the site off Jesse Jewell and Limestone parkways, and a QuikTrip convenience store is planned south of Jesse Jewell across from Limestone.

As for other interested businesses, “we’re in contact with several other people, but they’re wanting to remain confidential at this point,” said Mike McNicholas, president of the project’s Greenville, S.C.-based developer, Carolina Holdings Inc.

Overall, “we’re on track with our grading and all the things associated with that, such as utilities and paving,” he said. “Walls are going up on the Kroger as we speak.”

Kroger and the shops, which are still scheduled to open in February, will sit on 56 acres. The development across Jesse Jewell, where the QuikTrip will be built, is on 12 acres.

Rainy weather has affected the project, McNicholas said, “but our team has been able to compensate for that by bringing plenty of equipment, manpower and resources to bear to keep it on schedule. That’s really the only way you can do it.

“We’ve lost a lot of days, but you have to make hay while the sun shines.”

Also in the works is a new road connecting Limestone Parkway to White Sulphur Road south of Jesse Jewell Parkway — identified on a map provided by Carolina Holdings as Textile Way.

When completed, it will be dedicated as a city of Gainesville street.

Work on the road should begin in 30-60 days, with the work finished in the fall, McNicholas said.

That work will require traffic signal upgrades on Jesse Jewell at Limestone and White Sulphur.

“We’re going to add a fourth head on (each end of) the new city street, so they’ll both be four-way,” McNicholas said.

Also planned is a new traffic light on Limestone, leading into the development, and an additional left-turn lane for Jesse Jewell motorists traveling north on Limestone.

“All the work associated with that will be completed and operational by around year’s end, in anticipation of the project’s completion,” McNicholas said.

Travelers will be able to reach the 56-acre site by one of four entrances — two on Limestone, one on Jesse Jewell and one on White Sulphur.

McNicholas said his company is working with city and Hall County officials on the project, as well as the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Gainesville “was allowed a review and comment of the signal plans, as we will be the maintaining agency once the contractor has satisfied all of DOT’s standards,” said Gainesville traffic engineer Dee Taylor.